Chaos and confrontation erupted on July 21 outside the Astoria office of Assemblymember and mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani, where dueling protests exposed deep political and cultural divides in one of New York City’s most contentious election cycles.
Dozens of demonstrators waving American, Italian and Israeli flags gathered at 24-08 32nd St., on one side of 31st Street near Broadway, under the banner of the Italian American Civil Rights League (IACRL), and were joined by members of New Yorkers First and the American Brotherhood Motorcycle Club. They opened the rally with the National Anthem and chants of “USA! USA!” They also displayed signs that “Italian American pride is not up for disrespect, #StopMamdani”
“We are here today … because of a symbol of Italian-American pride, our ancestry. We will not be erased. And we are the manifestation of that today,” said Frank J. Spotorno, one of the organizers and a member of the IACRL.
This came as Spotorno, alongside other IACRL members, denounced Mamdani for what they perceived as cultural disrespect toward Italian-American heritage.
Across the street, Mamdani supporters — many donning shirts reading “Zohran Mamdani for Mayor” — responded with chants of “Socialism” and “No Pride in Genocide!” The back-and-forth soon turned into screaming matches, with insults hurled across police barricades.
Protest over Mamdani’s remarks and politics
The protest was spurred by a resurfaced image of Mamdani giving the middle finger to a statue of Christopher Columbus, which critics labeled an insult to the Italian-American community. Protesters also blasted Mamdani’s affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), accusing him of hijacking the Democratic Party for radical ends.
“This is not about a statue. This is about who we are,” said Gerard Marrone, vice president of the IACRL. “We are the breed of courage and perseverance. We will not be erased. Zohran Mamdani gave the finger to Columbus. That’s an affront to all Italian-American patriots who built this city.”
Other speakers denounced Mamdani’s ties to what they called extremist movements.
“He’s aligned himself with pro-terror organizations like Within Our Lifetime,” said one demonstrator, referring to the pro-Palestinian group that has drawn fire for its rhetoric.
One protester shouted into a megaphone, “He’s not a progressive. He’s a Marxist. He’s a socialist. He wants to bankrupt this city and turn it into a failed experiment!”
A Jewish woman who wished to remain anonymous stood with the anti-Mamdani protesters.
“I am a proud Jew and Zionist who is here to support my fellow New Yorkers and Italians who all realize that Zorhan Mamdani is a danger to all of NYC,” she declared.
Counterprotesters strike back
Mamdani’s backers were equally vocal, though many declined to speak with the press. Some accused reporters of bias, while others reiterated their support for the candidate’s rent-freeze and class-based policies. They waved the old Sicilian flag and what appeared to be the Arditi del Popolo banner — an Italian anti-fascist symbol born in resistance to Mussolini.
When the Mamdani crowd was asked why they support Zorhan, some declared that it is “because of socialism” and “he wants to make everything free.”
Others chanted, “MAGA lies, people die” while waving a sign reading “No Pride in Genocide.”
“I live in a rent-stabilized unit,” said a Mamdani supporter said when asked why he backed him. “Freezing the rent would make my life tremendously better. His politics are for people like me.”
He praised previous Mayor Bill de Blasio for freezing his rent three times, but when told that rents have increased significantly since then, he blamed current Mayor Eric Adams.
At times, tensions between the protesters and counterprotesters bordered on physical confrontation, with a heavy NYPD presence keeping the sides separated. Mamdani supporters mocked protesters as “Nazis” and “fascists,” while some protesters called for the “deportation” of Mamdani and his family.
Where Is Mamdani?
Adding fuel to the fire was Mamdani’s absence. The assemblymember, who recently participated in a Democratic primary debate and pledged to stay in New York to “address New Yorkers across the five boroughs,” was revealed over the weekend to be traveling to Uganda for two weeks.
Critics seized on a viral video montage circulating on social media, juxtaposing Mamdani’s public vow to remain in NYC with his departure announcement.
“Why are you going to Uganda in the middle of campaign season?” shouted one protester.
Protest art stuns crowd
Adding a theatrical twist, conservative artist and activist Scott LoBaido made a dramatic appearance with a mobile billboard depicting Mamdani and Mayor Adams emerging from gas cans, each holding a lit match, with a fiery cityscape in the background.
“New York City will burn to the ground if either of these clowns are elected,” LoBaido wrote in his social media unveiling of the piece. The painting titled “Pick Me, Pick Me Again” drew loud applause from the protest crowd.
Political fallout
Marty Dolan, a Republican candidate for Public Advocate, was seen mingling with protesters.
“This isn’t about one ethnicity,” he told attendees. “It’s about values, safety, and the future of New York.”
The only consensus of the protesters on who they support for Mayor, was “ABZ” — Anybody but Zorhan — as some were behind Adams or former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while others held signs for Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Observers say the protest underscores the fractured and increasingly hostile tone of the 2025 mayoral race.
As the crowd began to thin and police closed the demonstration after the permitted time expired, one protester turned to the press and asked, “Is this the New York we want—where radicals mock our history, insult our heritage, and run from accountability?”
